[Clinical evaluation of cefmenoxime in urinary tract and prostatic infections]

Cefmenoxime, a new cephalosporin, was given to fifty patients (28 male and 22 female) aged 15 to 86 years with infection of the urinary tract or prostate. Urinary tract infections, i.e. cystitis in 20 cases and pyelonephritis in 21, were usually chronic and associated with urologic anomalies. Nine patients had infection of the prostate. Pathogens recovered from the urine were 26 E. coli, 8 Klebsiella, 16 Serratia, 5 Proteus mirabilis or indole-positive Proteus, 1 Providencia, and 4 Pseudomonas. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of cefmenoxime ranged from 0.015 to 64 micrograms/ml (mean MIC: 0.12 micrograms/ml). Cefmenoxime was given as single drug therapy in all patients but one, in a daily dosage of 2 g divided into two intramuscular injections, for 3 to 28 days (average 22 days). Follow-up after discontinuation of treatment was four weeks. Therapeutic results were as follows: 13 successes and 7 failures by relapse for the 20 cystitis patients, 13 successes and 7 failures by relapse for the 20 interpretable cases of pyelonephritis, and 4 successes and 5 failures by relapse for the 9 patients with prostate infection. Local tolerance was excellent. Skin rash in 2 patients and diarrhea in 1 required withdrawal of the drug. Three other patients with diarrhea were able to continue treatment. Intolerance to ingestion of alcoholic beverages was reported by 10 patients. Hypereosinophilia was recorded in 2 cases and a transient mononucleosic reaction in one. No renal of hepatic side effects were documented.